Mizzou head coach Gary Pinkel arrested for DWI

Posted by John Taylor on November 17, 2011, 10:14 AM EST

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Uh. Oh.

KOMU-TV is reporting that Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel was arrested late Wednesday night by Boone County sheriff’s and charged with driving while intoxicated. Pinkel was pulled over in Columbia at shortly after 11 p.m. ET for what the television station described as lanes violations.

The school has yet to comment on their head coach’s arrest. The 5-5 Tigers play a home game against Texas Tech this weekend, although Pinkel’s own precedent suggests he shouldn’t be on the sidelines coaching his team.

In August of 2010, Missouri players Will Ebner and Beau Brinkley were charged with DWIs and were suspended by Pinkel for the first two games of the season. Certainly the head coach should be held to a higher standard than his players, right?

UPDATED 10:52 p.m. ET: For those curious, below is Pinkel’s mugshot, courtesy of a very kind reader who I suspect is a very fervent Kansas Jayhawk fan based on the number of times the acronyms “LOL” and “LMAO” were used in the email.

UPDATED 11:41 p.m. ET: Pinkel and athletic director Mike Alden have released statements addressing the arrest. You can read them by clicking HERE.

deadeye: You are right on…that must be it because that excuse is in keeping with all the “blaim someone else” trend nowadays.

So Coach Pinkel will suspend himself 2 games like Eber and Brinkley and add another 3 games for being the coach, so that would make a 5 game suspension. Pinkel then donates his pay for those suspended games to MADD or SADD or other anti-drunk driving charities. That would set a good example and provide him with a memory not to do that again.

Does anyone know if this is Pinkel’s first DWI? Or has he had others?

kcrobert10 says:Nov 17, 2011 11:00 AM

Well if there looking for a reason to move him out than he will be gone by this weekend. Don’t think they will and even though I would be doing the dance of joy in the street if the got myer its not going to happen.

UPDATED 10:52 p.m. ET: For those curious, below is Pinkel’s mugshot, courtesy of a very kind reader who I suspect is a very fervent Kansas LAMEhawk fan based on the number of times the acronyms “LOL” and “LMAO” were used in the email.